This morning, William Campbell, Satoshi Omura, and Youyou Tu, were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize for medicine for their work on parasitic diseases. Though the brilliant scientists certainly deserve the honor for their groundbreaking research, for most of us, reading about their and the achievements of other Nobel laureates can be overwhelming and perhaps even a little boring. However, the same cannot be said about the winners of the IG Nobel Prize that celebrates 'fun' scientific research....

Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument located in Wiltshire, England, is one of the world's most well-known ancient religious and burial sites. Situated amidst a dense complex of Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments, the modest looking circle of stones that are visited by millions of tourists annually were declared a World Heritage Site in 1986. Now it appears that the ancient tombstones that are believed to date all the way back to 2,000 B.C. have some bigger competitors right in their own backyard....

Some sculptors like to create clay masterpieces; others prefer metal. Then there is Theo Jansen. This Dutch artist uses PVC tubes to build giant Strandbeests (beach animals in Dutch). Part work of art, part fantastical creature, the multi-legged insect-like creations are both awe-inspiring and terrifying!...

When the team of marine biologists led by David Gruber of the City University of New York headed to Solomon Islands in the South Pacific in late July, they were hoping to film some biofluorescent sharks and coral reefs. What they had never expected to find was the world's first-known biofluorescent reptile....

According to ancient Polish folklore, during the final days of World War II, Nazi officials dispatched a train filled with stolen treasure from what used to be the East German city of Breslau. They were hoping to protect it from the fast approaching Soviet Red Army....

The proliferation of smartphones with cameras that can take self-portraits or selfies as they are popularly called has liberated us. We can now document every moment of our life and instantly share it with the world through the myriad of social networking websites. However, some believe that the incessant quest to capture the "ultimate" selfie is causing people to take unnecessary risks that in some cases are proving to be deadly!...

Most centenarians are thrilled to be able to walk. Not Hidekichi Miyazaki! This 105-year-old Japanese man wants to run and that too, competitively. Hence, it was only natural for "Golden Bot" to celebrate his latest birthday with a record-breaking 100-meter sprint....

When one thinks of sandcastles the image that comes to mind is usually that of building a masterpiece not staying inside one. However, some lucky visitors to the Netherlands can experience both thanks to two new pop-up sand hotels in the cities of Oss and Sneek....

Most 20-year-olds are still trying to figure out what they want to do in life. Not Boyan Slat. Ever since he was 16-years old, the Dutch teenager has had one mission - To clean up the trillions of pieces of plastic that are polluting our oceans and killing precious marine life. What's amazing is that this young man who started with what sounded like an outlandish dream may actually be able to pull off this gargantuan task!...

As far as age goes, the 220-year-old apple tree in Krolevets, Ukraine, is a young pup. After all, California's giant sequoias and redwoods have been around for thousands of years. However, none can do what this unique tree has been able to - Self-propagate a colony of fifteen family trees that combined cover an area of 1,000 sq. meters (10,763 sq.feet)....

Mention wasps and you are bound to hear exasperated tales of picnic sabotages and painful stings. But as it turns out, humans have it relatively easy, at least compared to some poor spiders that the wasps turn into web-weaving zombie slaves....

On Sunday, September 27th, skywatchers will witness the grand finale of the rare lunar eclipse tetrad (series of four consecutive total lunar eclipses). And it promises to be quite a show. That's because this one involves a full moon and perigee. This means that the celestial body will be at its closest distance to earth, giving it a larger than life appearance. The last time the world witnessed this phenomenon was in 1982, and the next one will not be until 2033!...

Solving the Rubik's Cube in 60 seconds may not seem like a big deal. In fact, it is painfully slow considering that 15-year-old world record holder Collin Burns is able to complete it in a mere 5.25 seconds. However, figuring out the Cube during a free fall jump certainly takes some skill not to mention a lot of courage. That is why skydiver Chris Walker's recent accomplishment is pretty amazing!...

About two years ago, recreational cave explorers Steven Tucker and Rick Hunter, were crawling through the tight crevices of a popular cavern called Rising Star near Johannesburg, when they stumbled upon a hidden chamber. Inside was a plethora of perfectly preserved fossilized bones, many of which looked almost human....

Japanese fisherman Hiroshi Hirasaka has an unusual hobby. He likes to catch and eat exotic and bizarre-looking creatures.The avid hunter has even outlined his conquests in a book called "Exotic Fish Species: I Caught, Judged and Tried Eating." Hence, you can only imagine his delight when he reeled in yet another scary looking specimen off the coast of Japan's Hokkaido Island, on August 30th....

The words teenager and patience are rarely uttered in one sentence. Adolescents are well-known for being irritable, impulsive, and craving instant gratification. According to the researchers from Berlin-based Max Planck Institute for Human Development, it is not because of hormones or that teens like to "act up." It is simply because the structural connections inside their 'amygdala' or emotional center of the brain, are still developing, limiting their ability to think ahead about the consequences of their actions....

Leaving one's home country is never an easy decision. But it is especially hard when the journey is fraught with danger and uncertainty and there is no guaranty of a successful outcome. Yet, unbearable conflict or repression forces thousands of people to take the plunge each year However, over the past two years, the number of refugees has escalated to alarming levels and there appears to be no end in sight....

From customizable figurines to prosthetics, 3D printing has revolutionized the way we build and manufacture things. However, nobody has ever attempted what Dutch designer Joris Laarman plans to do - Use the technology to "print" a pedestrian bridge exactly where it will live - Over one of Amsterdam's old city canals....

Every year, the hard-working folks at Guinness World Records scour the globe to seek out and recognize the incredible achievements and talents of both humans and animals. This year was no exception. On September 10, the company released a sneak peek into all the fascinating records fans can look forward to in the 2016 edition of the iconic book....

Right about now, high school seniors that wish to attend U.S. Universities are scrambling to complete their college applications before the December or January deadlines. Among the things they will be required to submit is a Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT score. While the standardized test is an optional requirement for some schools, at California's Stanford University it is mandatory for every applicant - Even the world's youngest Nobel Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai!...

On August 28, six researchers who barely know each other made their way to the slopes of the Mauna Loa volcano on Hawaii's Big Island for a year-long "vacation." However, the crew of three men and three women that includes a soil scientist, a doctor, a post-grad architect student, and an astrobiologist, did not check into a fancy resort. Instead, they locked themselves up inside a solar-powered dome without fresh air, fresh food, or privacy....

September 11, 2015 marks the 14th anniversary of one of the most tragic days in America's history. On that fateful day in 2001, almost 3,000 innocent civilians lost their lives to one of the most brazen and deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil. Organized by Islamic extremist organization Al Qaeda and its leader Osama Bin Laden, it led to the ongoing "Global War On Terrorism", and changed life as we knew it, forever....

Girl bands - Music groups that feature women only have been around since the 1920's. However, none compares to Japan's latest pop sensation KBG84. That's because, with an average member age of 84, they are not just the country's hottest music band; they are also the oldest! But age has not hindered the "granny" group from releasing a hit single and performing to sold out shows in Tokyo and Osaka....

The summer of 2014 was all about people pouring orange buckets of ice water over their heads and challenging others to do the same. But as fun as it was, the individuals were not just goofing off. They were rising to the Ice Bucket Challenge that encouraged people to either douse themselves or donate $100 USD towards ALS research. The dare that went viral globally enabled the Foundation to raise an astounding $115 million USD in a few short months. Now, just a year later, the generous donation is helping facilitate new breakthroughs in the disease that currently has no cure....